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Fermín Tangüis (March 29, 1851 – August 24, 1930), was a Puerto Rican businessman, farmer, and scientist who developed the seed that would eventually produce the Tanguis cotton in
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
and save that nation's cotton industry.


Early years

Tangüis' father, Henri Tangüis, emigrated from France to
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...
, where he met and married a young Spanish Puerto Rican girl by the name of Justa Uncal. Tangüis was born in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, and there he received his primary and secondary education. Tangüis moved to
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
to pursue a university degree; however when the
Ten Years' War The Ten Years' War (; 1868–1878), also known as the Great War () and the War of '68, was part of Cuba's fight for independence from Spain. The uprising was led by Cuban-born planters and other wealthy natives. On 10 October 1868, sugar mil ...
(1868–1878) broke out in that island, he decided that it would be best to move to South America. He moved to
Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
,
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
in 1873, when he was 22 years old and worked as a mercantile accountant. Tangüis went on to work in the mines of Castrovirreyna and later established his own businesses in
Ayacucho Ayacucho (, , derived from the words ''aya'' ("death" or "soul") and ''k'uchu'' ("corner") in honour of the battle of Ayacucho), founded in 1540 as San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga and known simply as Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga) until 1825, i ...
and in Huancavelica. In July 1884, he married Isabel Novoa and in 1890, at the age of 39, he purchased land in Valle de Pisco and established a plantation dedicated to cultivation of cotton.Un Modelo de Vida (A role model in his lifetime)


Cotton and its significance in Peru's economy

Sugar and cotton were the two most important agricultural products of Peru in the 19th century. In 1901, Peru's cotton industry suffered because of a fungus plague caused by a plant disease known some places as "cotton wilt" and in others as "Fusarium wilt" ('' Fusarium vasinfectum''). The plant disease, which spread throughout Peru, enters the plant by its roots and works its way up the stem until the plant is completely dried up. Many of the agriculturists who dedicated themselves to the cultivation of cotton were ruined and the cotton industry in general was in crisis.


Tangüis cotton

Tangüis began to study some species of the plant that were affected by the disease to a lesser extent and experimented in
germination Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, ...
with the seeds of various cotton plants. In 1911, after 10 years of experimenting and failures, Tangüis was able to develop a seed which produced a superior cotton plant resistant to the disease. The seeds produced a plant that had a 40% longer (between 29 mm and 33 mm) and thicker fiber that did not break easily and required little water.Peru's Cotton
/ref> The cotton grown in Peru ( Egyptian cotton) before the fungus plague grew only once a year; the Tangüis cotton grows six times a year. This type of fiber showed a better resistance and performance than other fibers. Tangüis shared his new seeds with the other cotton growers, who named the plant which the seeds produced Tangüis Cotton. Tangüis cotton grows in Canete's valley (south of Lima) and in the Central Coast of Peru. The success of the Tangüis cotton, which is also known in Peru as "Oro Blanco" (White Gold), saved the cotton industry of that nation.Fermin Tanguis
In 1918, Peru began to export the Tangüis cotton variety, which together with the exportation of sugar, made it possible for the government of Peru to cover its national budget.Boletin
It is highly regarded worldwide and is listed on the Cotton Exchange of
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
in the United Kingdom. In 1997, the Tanguis cotton, the variety which is preferred by the Peruvian national textile industry, constituted 75 percent of all the Peruvian cotton production, both for domestic use and apparel exports. The Tanguis cotton crop was estimated at 225,000 bales that year.


Later years

The President of Peru Augusto B. Leguia (1919 to 1930), honored Tangüis by presenting him with the "Orden del Sol" (Order of the Sun) medal. The Orden del Sol is a decoration which the Government of Peru presents to its citizens and foreigners for their extraordinary accomplishments in the fields of the arts, literature, culture and politics. Tangüis became a wealthy man and continued to tend to his plantation the remainder of his life. Fermín Tangüis died on August 24, 1930, and is buried in the Presbitero Maestro Cemetery in Lima.


Legacy

In Lima, there is a statue of Tangüis on a horse in Parque de la Reserva (Park of the Reserve). In 1985, Dr. Alberto Giesecke, committee member of the Cosapi National Prize, suggested that books be published about the lives and accomplishments of Peru's civilian heroes. The first book published was that of the life of Fermin Tangüis.


See also

*
List of Puerto Ricans This is a list of notable people from Puerto Rico which includes people who were born in Puerto Rico (Borinquen) and people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. Puerto Rican citizens are included, as the governm ...
* French immigration to Puerto Rico *
Puerto Rican scientists and inventors Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to: Places *El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain *Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines *Puerto Colombia, Colombia *Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela *Puerto Galera, Oriental Mi ...


References


External links


Cotton
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanguis, Fermin 1851 births 1930 deaths 19th-century Puerto Rican people Puerto Rican scientists Puerto Rican businesspeople Businesspeople from San Juan, Puerto Rico Recipients of the Order of the Sun of Peru Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent